I Am Not My Cysts: What They Are and How I’m Remedying It

When I first found out, I was certain it meant having more kids would be impossible. So, naturally, I cried.

It’s still likely my ovaries are damaged from cysts that have been forming and dissipating for the last three years. Five months after first discovering them on a CT scan, I’m only just now understanding that they have been apart of my life for that long.

In the hopes that it will help another woman understand her own body, let me explain a little about what I’ve learned about cysts, including how common they are, and how I’m coping and living life with them.

What is a cyst?

There are many types of cysts. The type that I have are follicular cysts. Basically, it means that the follicle that surrounds the egg doesn’t shrink when my ovary releases an egg and, instead, it keeps filling with fluid until it bursts. This is the most common type of ovarian cyst.

What are the symptoms?

Here is where hindsight 20/20 comes in. I don’t have pain with my cysts. If so, it felt no different than normal menstrual period cramps. However, I have a reference point in my life that I can think back to and mark as life before cysts and life with them.